I'm going to share with you today one of my most favorite practices as an embodied meditation teacher and that is somatic shaking.
So as the name suggests we're going to be coming into the body and moving it in such a way that we shift from a tense fight-flight response into the more parasympathetic rest and digest where we experience deeper states of calm,
Of ease,
Of stillness and a greater access to our inner wisdom.
So there are so many benefits,
Not just nervous system regulation to this somatic shaking.
We're also going to be moving the spinal column fluid,
Which helps align our energy centers.
The practice is super easy and it just takes a couple of minutes.
So I'm going to invite you to stand with me now.
Make sure you are in a space that you feel comfortable to come into the body.
I find so often when we arrive at our meditation practice,
If we haven't cleared out the stress and tension or the busyness of our day,
We can tend to bring that onto our mat and then wonder why it's so hard to get into a state of clear thinking or a state of expanded consciousness when we've got all that clutter and noise in our system.
So here's how the practice goes.
We are literally going to stand,
Feet firmly planted on the floor,
And then you're going to shake the body.
We're going to move the body up and down.
Just as if you could envision your spinal column.
And your energy centers along that spinal column.
Getting a very beautiful massage through the movement of up and down.
Now this practice brings us into our animal body.
And supports that release of tension and stress that we've been carrying without actually having to focus on what the stress is or where it's come from.
So allow yourself to really.
.
.
Give over to the sensation and enjoy the process of just letting your body move and jiggle,
Particularly if you're someone who likes to hold everything in tight.
This is your opportunity to just let it all go.
The more you lean in.
And give yourself full permission.
To do the practice.
The more you'll get out of it.
It can help to take deep breaths and release with a sound out through the mouth.
Ah,
Releasing the jaw.
Beginning to feel your shoulders.
Letting go of tension.
Ah,
You might even like to lift a foot off the floor,
Lift the other foot off,
Shake out your hands.
Perhaps bring some organic movement into your neck.
Your head,
Your shoulders.
Ahhhhhhhhh and just letting your body guide you.
Ah,
Letting your intuitive wisdom flow.
Take over.
No thinking or effort required.
Just letting this ancient practice do what it's designed to do.
Feeling the stress you've been carrying from the day.
Simply melting off.
Grrrrrrrr!
Oh.
Have a great day.
Any worries,
Any concerns.
And just fall from the body.
Down to the earth.
Allowing the earth.
To hold it for you for a while.
Trusting that the Earth knows exactly what she needs to do to transmute this energy.
Hmmmm.
Continuing to shake.
And I wonder if you can even begin to enjoy the sensation of.
Shaking of moving that spinal column fluid up and down.
Hmm.
Of allowing the excess energy to flow.
Disperse.
And in its place bring a level of softening.
Unraveling tension.
Preparing your nervous system to receive.
All right.
And we're just going to take this last minute in.
Silence down,
Allowing you to relax.
Give over fully to the practice,
Stay with it.
Keep moving,
Just letting the body guide you.
Letting it show you what it needs.
I love it.
Go away.
Come home with.
That's fine.
And as we prepare to bring the shaking practice to a close,
Don't stop abruptly,
Just allow your movement to slow down a little now.
Ah,
Perhaps you're shaking.
Shifts into a gentle sway.
You should notice the pulsing energy moving through your body and your hands.
Just maintaining a gentle motion.
Go ahead and place your hands on your body.
As a way of coming into deeper contact with it.
It's a way of honouring this.
Extraordinary.
Machine.
It's been with you your entire life.
That is the portal into.
.
.
Deeper understanding.
Universal Consciousness.
Take a deep breath in through the nose,
Filling up through the belly and chest.
And sighing out through the mouth with an audible sigh.
Let's do that one more time.
Breathing in.
Expand the belly and chest and hold at the top of the inhale,
Holding the energy in along the central column.
Exhale through the mouth,
Letting your hands go.
And if it feels good to do so,
Perhaps coming back into your seat.
Your eyes closed.
Hmm.
And just taking a moment to notice how you feel.
Notice the quality of your inner environment.
Perhaps noticing a stillness of the mind.
Quality of your thoughts.
The aliveness or the peacefulness in your body.
Hmm.
And if it feels good for you to do so perhaps bringing your hands to your heart centre either in Anjali Mudra,
Prayer position or just your hands against your sternum being in contact with your heart chakra.
And contact with your deepest self.
And as we close this practice today,
Perhaps you'd like to stay in this place.
Taking yourself deeper into meditation.
Or if this feels complete for you today,
Perhaps click the like button.
Closing out your practice with a simple honoring and acknowledging.
The prayer is thank you.
Thank you.
Really allowing that energy of gratitude to permeate through your heart.
Expand through your body.
Out into the room.
And out beyond the perimeters of where you are.
Sending out beautiful vibrations of love and gratitude,
Appreciation and stillness.
Taking another deep breath in through the nose,
Filling up through the belly and chest.
And just sigh out through the mouth with an audible sigh,
Letting your hands fall to your lap.
And gently opening those beautiful eyes.
Perhaps gazing around the room,
Around the space in which you're in.
A new level of clarity.
A new level of intention.
New level of connection.
May you bring this quality into your day or your evening.
Thank you for practicing with me.
I look forward to seeing you again soon.
